Site Purpose

Lia Steinberg studies broadcast journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. This website was created to share her experiences exploring the world of geocaching as a college student, and to provide helpful hints and tips on how to have a pleasant and fulfilling geocaching experience.

Subscribe to Blog

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Archive for the ‘Geocaching Adventures’ Category

I’ve been trying to catch up on my geocaching before it gets too hot to be away from the AC for more than five minutes. Here’s what I’ve found in the last few weeks:

This cache was in a beautiful area. The title was “Power Point” (GC31T0Q) and it was, you guessed it, stuck to an electrical box. I definitely had to spend a little time looking for it, though. All in all, it was a blast!

Next up:

This one (GCA4T4) was so much fun. It was located in a little park that I never knew existed. It was just your average container, but I really had fun searching for it. I was riding my bike with family and when I checked for nearby caches…voila! It was 300 feet away (Don’t you love when that happens?)

I loved this one:

This was within walking distance from my house, so I decided to bike to the spot during sunset. SG1 (GC2E459) was the perfect combination of business and pleasure. It was definitely not easy to find, but it was so exciting to find it in an untraditional spot. I really enjoyed it.

Lastly,

This was the tiniest geocache I’ve ever seen! It didn’t even have a container. The log was simply hidden in a bolt of a street sign. It’s named “Get Outside #3” (GC2ERMJ) and I definitely needed to pull out my tweezers for this one!

I’d like to know….

What geocaches have you found lately? What type of geocache is your favorite to find? Write a comment and let me know!

Happy Caching!

Advertisements

Share this:

Like this:

When I told a good friend of mine about geocaching, she thought I was crazy. “There are over one million hidden containers in the world? And there is one nearby us right now?” she asked. I had to prove to her that this hobby is real. I turned on my geocaching app on my phone, and found one that was located about two-thousand feet away from where we were standing. Suddenly, we jumped out of our seats and headed outside to find the prize. She also insisted on wearing a head lamp.

We hopped on the Light Rail and got off on the next stop. After we searched the surrounding area for a few minutes, I zoned in on this little geocache, named Stick’em Up (GC1MH33).

My friend was so shocked to see how many people have found this cache previously. She had absolutely no idea that a hobby like this existed. Once we signed the log, we headed back and logged our experience on geocaching.com. It was really special to share my new found hobby with a friend and have someone to go on future geocaching adventures with.

Who do you take on geocaching adventures with? Leave a comment below, I’d love to hear your response!

Share this:

Like this:

Over the Thanksgiving break, I decided to hunt down a few geocaches before stuffing my face with turkey and mashed potatoes. I chose to look around the Dreamy Draw Mountain Preserve because it is a geocacher’s paradise! Hundreds of geocaches are hidden in the area and with temperatures in the mid 60’s, I couldn’t resist spending the entire day outside!

This was my first find of the day, named Lizard Gulch (GC1NTV3). In a desert landscape, it’s easier to spot a geocache because it is usually hidden under an abnormally large rock pile, which looks suspicious to geocachers but appears unnoticeable to non-geocachers.

This was another fun, quick find named Red, Rousse, Rojo (GC1Z5WH). The difficulty rating on this one was 2.5 stars because it was cleverly hidden in a wash with a lot of rocks and bushes. After I signed the log, I decided to hike upward to find a geocache hidden on top of a peak with a breathtaking view.

Yogi’s Gold (GCHPJT) was well worth the climb. The large canister contained a zip blocked bag (pictured above) and contained some trading cards, toys and of course, the log book. I admired the beautiful view of the Phoenix area and then decided it was time to head home. It’s breathtaking moments like these when I stop and realize how thankful I am to experience nature at its finest.

What do you think?

Have you discovered beautiful scenery while you were geocaching? I’d love to hear from you!

Share this:

Like this:

After discovering this well-hidden geocache in a highly-populated area, it definitely made me stop and notice my surroundings. You see, I stroll down this road almost every day to get to class and I have never noticed this tiny piece of history, until now. I was shocked to find out there is a sneaky geocache right in the middle of traffic, busy college students and chaos.

The Story of George (GC1MD2W) is a geocache dedicated to the George ditch in Tempe, Ariz.

This ditch was dug by Benjamin and Virginia George in 1883 to bring water to their Tempe ranch. Most of the ditch is covered and piped today, but this small section of the ditch that still remains is a remnant of what ditches looked like around the Valley in those days. And sure enough, it’s a perfect hiding place, too!

This geocache really made me open my eyes to the world around me and took me to a place where I can have fun and learn at the same time!

So Tell me…
Where do you like to geocache?

So, tell me…

Where do you like to geocache? Have you ever discovered something interesting from geocaching? I’d love to hear from you!

Share this:

Like this:

With final exams and projects slowly approaching, I decided I needed a little geocaching “TLC” to brighten my day. After realizing I haven’t been on a geocaching excursion in a while, I decided to track one down not too far from Arizona State University on the Tempe Campus. When I turned on my GPS, I discovered I was only 500 feet from a geocache – and I zeroed in on it shortly after!

This cache, (GC21FWF) creatively named “Get Your Daley Drink”, is located in a busy Tempe park named Daley Park. It was fairly easy to find and I spotted it from several feet away. I grabbed the cache, took it over to the nearest park bench, and examined the items stashed inside.

An official geocaching pencil, a marble, a dice dradle, a donkey travel bug, and a smiley face coin graced me with their presence when I opened up the cache. However, the most important element I found was the log book. I signed it, dated it, and put it back in the container. Although it doesn’t seem like a big deal, finding a simple treasure in the midst of my busy day allows me to unwind and realize how the little things make an important impact on my life.

How do you unwind after a stressful day? I’d love to hear from you!

Share this:

Like this:

Plan on spending the entire day geocaching? You might need more than a GPS to have a successful trip. It can be a rough experience being outside all day in the sun, jumping from rock to rock, or climbing over tough terrain. I know there have been many occasions when I was geocaching and I did not enjoy my adventure because I forgot to bring an important tool or article of clothing with me. Geocaching can be dangerous if you’re not prepared.

A backpack to carry all of your items is vital. I chose this backpack because it is large enough to hold multiple items and it appropriately blends in with nature. It also has many side pockets which makes it easier to organize your belongings.

Staying out of the sun is important for your skin and your overall health. Your body will thank you later in life when you wear a hat with a visor (shown above) and plenty of sunscreen. Apply the sunscreen multiple times during the day so you’ll stay protected and skin cancer free! Sunglasses are a plus if you need some extra protection.

Heavy duty sneakers or boots are essential if you plan on exploring outdoors. Shoes with arch support will support your back after a long day of bending and climbing. And speaking of climbing – bringing a first aid kit with you in case you fall and hurt yourself can come in handy. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!

Some other bonus essentials include a flashlight in case it gets dark sooner than you expected, a pen to sign the logbooks inside the geocaches, tweezers for extracting geocaches from difficult to reach areas, and a watch to keep track of time.

Last but certainly not least – drink plenty of water! Water will hydrate your body so you can have the energy to be outside all day and not feel dehydrated.

Geocaching with a friend is the safest way to explore, but if you decide to go alone, always tell someone where you are going and bring a cell phone in case of an emergency.